Maintenance & Reliability
Improving ammonia production sustainability
While approximately 70% of ammonia production is used to make fertilizers, it is also identified as the largest carbon dioxide (CO2)-emitting chemical industry process. This article examines several novel technologies to improve the sustainability of the ammonia production process.
Safe design and operation of burn pit flare systems
This article will mainly focus on horizontal flare systems and grade-level burn pits. Design considerations, operational challenges and several lessons learned will be discussed.
SMR feed effluent hairpin exchanger: Once upon a time—An unusual thermal mix-point failure—Part 2
This article presents a review of a failure that happened in a hairpin heat exchanger type on the shell side in a H2 (H2) reformer unit.
Use advanced thermal insulative coatings to improve safety, maintain access and protect against corrosion
Throughout refineries, petrochemical plants and offshore oil and gas platforms, personnel are often required to work near equipment that operates at high temperatures. Protecting those workers from skin-contact burns has typically involved two approaches: implementing physical barriers and covering the hot assets with insulation and cladding. This article details how thermal insulative coatings can be used to improve safety and guard against corrosion.
Russian Urals oil sales to Turkey in Nov. up 38% m/m as STAR refinery increases runs
Russian Urals oil supplies to Turkey's ports in November increased to 9.9 MMbbl from 7.4 MMbbl in October as its main consumer was back from outage.
NNPC's Port Harcourt resumes output in boost to Nigeria oil refining
Nigeria's Port Harcourt refinery has resumed production, marking the first of state-owned oil firm NNPC Ltd.'s four plants to return from upgrade work announced in 2020.
Russia's Lukoil restoring cracker at NORSI refinery, gasoline output rising
Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil is restoring operations of its catalytic cracker complex, ramping up gasoline output after the unit's breakdown on Nov. 13.
Japan's Cosmo Oil restarts 86,000-bpd Yokkaichi CDU after maintenance
Japan's Cosmo Oil, a unit of Cosmo Energy Holdings, has restarted the 86,000-bpd crude distillation unit (CDU) at the Yokkaichi refinery in central Japan on Nov. 9 after planned maintenance.
bp delays Whiting refinery (U.S.) restart from maintenance
bp has delayed the restart of a crude distillation unit and a coker at its 435,000-bpd Whiting, Indiana, refinery from maintenance.
Russia's Ilsky refinery has asked for gov't help over high rates, modernization
Russia's Ilsky oil refinery has applied for government financial help mainly due to high interest rates and facility modernization, but added there was no risk of it shutting down and that it remained profitable.
- BASF starts up the world’s first production plant for 3D-printed catalysts in Ludwigshafen 3/19
- Haffner Energy receives rapid bookings for CORE100 clean-fuel production units 3/19
- ABB launches EmissionVision to automate advanced gas leak detection 3/19
- Ebara Elliott Energy partners with NuScale Power for use of advanced nuclear technology to power petrochemical plants 3/19
- bp agrees to sell 12-MMtpy Gelsenkirchen refinery to Klesch Group 3/19
- Sumitomo Corporation, “K” LINE and NYK Line conclude MoU for new build ammonia bunkering vessel operation in Singapore 3/19
